Gas measuring device



Nov. 10, 1953 R. D. RICHARDSON GAS MEASURING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 24, 1945 INVENTOR. Foefer D. Q/cHAeoao/v.

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Nov. l0. 1953 R. D. RICHARDSON GAS MEASURING DEVICE' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 24, 1945 E m s n N0 T I 2 A M mf Q 0. w mw 0 P Patented Nov. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE -GAS vMEASURING DEVICE Robert yD. Richardson, Michigan "City, '"Ind., as-

"signor to `The Hays Corporation, Michigan'City, Ind., a corporation of flndiana Application May'24, 1945, ser'ia1N0.5`95,569

Z'Claims.

"Thisinventionrelatesfto a gas measuring device. More particularly it relates to'a device for Ymeasuring the oxygen content of a gas.

Theprimary object of this inventicnis'top'rovide a simple, accurate, sturdy and durable device Vfor measuring oxygen.

Afurther object is to provide a practicaldevice for 'determining the oxygen content of a gas by measuring the cooling effect of a movement of gas upon a heated wire positioned in a heterogeneous magnetic 'eld.

A further object is v'to provide a device of this character which may be operated from either a direct current 'or a low frequency alternating current powersupply. Y

A further'object is to vprovidea device of this character having means for controlling the ow of gas in a predetermined pattern therein lior measurement purposes.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a novel thermal element of rugged construction.

A further object is `tovprovide a device `of`this character having y:a novel, sturdy 'and thermally stable test cell. I

A further object is to provide a device of this character having Vnovel and simple means for eifecting zero adjustment.

Other objects will b e apparent 4from the ldescription, drawings and appendedclaim's.

Fig. lisa verticasectional View 'of "the device, with parts illustrateddiagrammatically.

Fig. 2 isfa transversehorizor'ital sectional view taken-online? 2-'472 of Fig. 1.

Fig. `3 Ais van fenla'r' Velement of the device.

lligf'4 "is 'a still *further enlarged Atransversesectional'viewftaken on yline 4-44 of Fig. -3.

Fig. 5 i's fa vertical sectional view v'similarto all other Lgases excepting iNO. Likewise 'it `is known that`tlie heaticonductivity of a paramagvneticgasis rediiced'in a homogeneous fma'g'netic vfield. The lattercondition'limits:to only about E1% the 'totalfeffect 'cr change in thermal conductivity for the If-ull range 'of ioxygen .'to be measured, i.fe.,'-therangeffrom 0=to=100% oxygen ged Iside 'view 'of 'me lheating concentrationin "the gas'sample. This effe'ct'is Ageneral ruggedness.

too small to be used as an accurate indication of the oxygencontent of a vgas in a practical Vgas measuring device of reasonable cost and with acceptableprecision and sensitivity.

AHowever, if 'a heated wire is positioned in a heterogeneous magnetic iield, rit is cooled `when 1surrounded -by` a paramagnetic gas. The cooling a'ction'results from the owof'gas past th'eheat- 'ing element. The parainagnetic gas adjacxent'to Athe heating 'element :and heated thereby has ya has a coolingeffect upon the heating element.

The coolingjeffectldue to the movement of the gas is opposite 'to the effectfdue -to'thethermal conductivityof the gas,`but is much greaterand therefore can bei measured with Y greater accuracy by apparatus of Elowercost than 'reduired for measuring thermal conductivity 'as 'mentioned fabo've. The present invention lutilizes this prin- -ciple and reaction for the lmeasurement lof the `oxygen content of" a gas.

Referring to Figs. lto `4, thenume'ral l0 rdesignates a test I'cell which preferably Aconstitutes a :block of brass or other non-ferrous imaterial. 'The material f whichfcell l'0`is tconstructed is preferably selected for vrits thermal stability and The cell 'has-a plurality of spaced parallel vertical passages "therein, preferably arrangedin line as showniin 'Fig/'2. :Pas- 'sages zil and 'l'2`a'r`e inter-connected at their up- 'p'e'r ends bya longitudinal passage i3, andpassages I Afand "l 5 are interconnected at theiri'i'pper Y "tips substantially ush "with said passage. A

yCs'henoed'fmagnet 2G is adapted toembrace the cell Ii! with fitsvoppositeipole portions so posiltioneol adjacent to =or `in "engagement with the Imayrbe pivotallyfmounted,uponfany suitable'support (not shown) bymeans of Lpivot studs-2 l.

Two heating elements 22 are prcvidedin the device. Element 23 yconstitutesairneasiiring'ele- Ament Vandisfpositionedin passage f I. YElement fZ-li'fconstitutesa comparison `element anclisl positioned in the passage I5, although it can be positioned in passage I4 if desired. The construction of the two heating elements is the same and they have the same heating properties. The construction is best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. A support 25 is formed of electrical insulating material such as glass, and may be of cup shape as shown. Support 25 is mounted in a suitable opening in the block I in communication with the desired passage of the group of passages II-I5. A wire stem 26 extends longitudinally through the support 25 in which it is ixedly secured. The upper portion of stem 26 projects from the support to provide a terminal 21. The lower portion 28 of the stem 26 projects below the support 25 and supports a glass tube or sheath 29 which is melted in place therearound. A coil of wire 30 is wound around the tube 29. The entire unit is then glazed with the same type of glass used for tube 29 to provide an outer coat or sheath 3 I. A second wire stem 32 extends longitudinally through and is secured to support 25 in spaced relation to stem 26. 'I'he upper end of stem 32 projects above the support 25 to provide a terminal 33 and the lower end portion 34 of the stem is secured to the glazed coat 3| to cooperate with stem 26 to support the depending heater unit. The coil 30 is connected at its upper end to stem 32 and at its lower end to stem portion 28. The length of the depending heater portion of each element is preferably such that it lower end or tip is positioned at the level of the pole tips I9 of the magnet 20, the tip of element 23 terminating between magnet tips I9 in passage I I as shown.

The terminals 21 and 33 of the two heater elements are connected in separate legs 35 and 35' of a Wheatstone bridge circuit whose remaining legs 36 and 31 have impedances or resistances 38 therein. The bridge circuit is connected to any desired source of power 39, which may be either direct current or alternating current, by leads 40 which are connected at points 4I and 42 between branches 35 and 36 and between branches 35 and 31, respectively. A lead 43 is connected to the bridge circuit between branches 35 and 35' and a lead 44 is connected to the bridge circuit between branches 36 and 31. A recorder 45, provided with an amplifier, or an indicator, is connected to the bridge circuit by leads 43 and 44.

In the operation of the device, passage I1 is connected by any suitable means (not shown) With the source of gas whose oxygen content is to be measured so that a continuous fiow of sample gas is supplied to the device. The gas sample passes into the passage I I, and the oxygen content is attracted into the heterogeneous magnetic field in the space between the pole pieces I9 of magnet 20 by reason of its paramagnetic properties. At that point the gas is heated by the heating element 23, and the heated oxygen loses its attraction to the magnetic field. Consequently, the comparatively cold oxygen from passage I1 continually pushes the heated oxygen upwardly through the passage II and a net flow of gas is maintained. A free and unrestricted path for this flow of gas is provided by the passages I2 and I3, for return of the gas sample to passage I1. The comparison heating element 24 is positioned identically with relation to the gas sample in a branch flow path provided by passages I4, I and I6.

By virtue of the properties of oxygen in a magnetic field, i. e., the attraction of cold oxygen to a magnet and the loss of such attraction upon heating thereof, the rate of flow of gas in passage II and along the heating element 23 is greater than in the passage containing the comparison heating element 24. The increased gas iiow serves to cool the heating element 23 somewhat. This changes the electrical value of the heating element 23 and unbalances the normally balanced bridge circuit to permit operation of the recorder 45 in direct proportion to the percentage of oxygen present in the gas sample. If there is no oxygen present in the system, there is still a iiow of gas due to the thermal effect of the heating elements 23 and 24 thereon. However, this effect is balanced at the two elements 23 and 24. This general flow of gas reduces the time lag that would be necessary for direct diffusion.

The pivot mounting of the magnet so that it can be swung away from the members I9 accommodates quick and simple zero adjustment of the device. In other words, by swinging the magnet the members I9 are demagnetized, and the Wheatstone bridge and the rec-order can be checked for bridge balance and zero setting by energizing the device, because the conditions at the measuring element 23 and at the comparison element 24 are then the same. The adjustments so made are not altered by the subsequent return of the magnet to position to remagnetize members IS.

The use of a body Ie formed of brass or other thermally stable non-ferrous material, and the provision therein of the iron members I9 above described, are important features of the invention. Thermal stability and inherent ruggedness of strength result from the use of the brass block. Hence the device, and especially the test block, does not have to be handled under laboratory conditions, but can be used in e. boiler room or at any location convenient to the apparatus to which the gas under test is derived. Danger of breakage is minimized, as are thermal fluctuations which would adversely affect reading. The passages in the block provide for a control ci the pattern of gas flow for maximum efficiency and sensitivity and for avoidance of errors in tha results recorded or indicated. Thus, control of the gas iiow pattern facilitates accurate calibration of the instrument.

The construction of the heating elements is of critical importance because it permits operation of the device by direct current or by low frequency alternating current, for example, 60 cycle current. In either instance, the effect of the current in the magnetic field is neutral because the current passes through the coil 30 in one direction relative to the magnetic field and through the stem or wire 28 in the opposite direction relative to the field. The use of heating elements of the type common in thermal conductivity units could not be resorted to in a device requiring a magnetic eld for its operation because of the effect of the field on the current unless a very high frequency of alternating current is used. The latter expedient would overcome this effect of the magnetic eld but would have an inherent tendency to introduce vibration, particularly at a recorder or indicator which includes amplifying means, so that the accurate reading or operation of the recorder or indicator would be impossible. Likewise, use of a high frequency would require shielding, whereas ordinary conduit wiring can be used with this device. Other advantages of the heating element construction are that the elements are thermally stable because the thermal conductance common in single lead encased elements is material- 1y reduced; that collection of moisture is less troublesome with this construction than with prior types of heating elements in thermal conductivity devices; that a glass can be selected whose thermal expansion exactly matches that of platinum of which the heating wires are formed; and that the heating element is strong and rugged. The construction of this heating element may be utilized for other types of thermal conductivity devices than that here illustrated and described.

While the construction of the block with separate passages for the measuring element 23 and the comparison element 24 is preferred, it is not essential. Thus as shown in Fig. 5, the block I may be provided with one large opening or chamber 46 in communication with gas sample passage I1. The two heating elements 23 and 24 are arranged in spaced relation to each other and to the chamber walls to permit gas flow in eddy or convection currents within the chamber 46. This construction of the block lacks the positive mechanical control of gas flow patterns, but does not materially detract from the desired operation of the device, particularly in view of the convection flow eiect which causes the oxygen drawn between the magnet pole pieces I9 to be displaced, when heated, in an upward direction along the heating element 23 to cool the same. Tests of a block of this construction have given practical readings of oxygen content.

Another modification of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 6 and entails the use of a block I0 of the same construction as shown in Fig. 1, with the measuring element 23 and the comparison element 24 in passages II and I5, respectively. Two additional heating elements 41 and 43 are provided, being mounted in passages I2 and I4, respectively. These heating elements are connected in the bridge circuit in series relation with the other heating elements in the same flow path. That is, heating element 41 is connected in series with measuring element 23 in branch 35 of the Wheatstone bridge, and element 48 is connected in series with comparison element 24 in branch 35 of the bridge circuit. The cooling effect of the flow of gas, initiated by the magnet and measuring element 23, acts upon the element 41 also. This provides a cooling action at each of the elements 23 and 41 and therefore tends to provide increased sensitivity of the instrument.

'I'he construction illustrated in Fig. 7 utilizes a block I0 with passages similar to those in the block of Fig. 1. The heating elements 23 and 24 are positioned horizontally in the passages Il and I5, instead of vertically. 'I'his construction operates on the same principle as the preferred embodiment, i. e. cooling of element 23 by ow of gas therearound incident to the loss of paramagnetic properties of oxygen when heated. The construction is not as convenient as the other constructions illustrated, but it is illustrative of the range of variations of the instrument which is possible.

I claim:

1. In a gas measuring device comprising a rigid test cell having a gas chamber and inlet and outlet passages, a magnet carried by said cell shaped to produce a heterogeneous magnetic eld in a portion only of said chamber, said cell having passages communicating with said chamber, pole pieces for said magnet mounted in said passages, said magnet being pivoted to swing to and from said pole piece magnetizing position, a heating element projecting into said chamber with a portion thereof positioned xedly in said magnetic eld, a second heating element projecting into and positioned fixedly in said chamber remote from said eld, and means for measuring the diierence in temperature of said elements each heating element including a rigid insulation member and a pair of leads connected at one end and imbedded in spaced relation in said member, whereby current flows therethrough in opposite directions and the effect of said heating element in said magnetic eld is neutral.

2. A test cell for use in a gas measuring device comprising a non-ferrous metal body of high thermal stability having a gas passage and a chamber communicating with said passage and oir-set therefrom, said body having a pair of opposed inwardly tapered bores communicating with said chamber, a tapered magnetizable member in each bore, and a pivoted magnet normally embracing said body with its poles positioned adjacent to said members and adapted to normally magnetize said members.

ROBERT D. RICHARDSON.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,860,544 Krueger et al. May 31, 1932 2,154,862 Olshevsky Apr. 18, 1939 2,255,551 Willenborg Sept. 9, 1941 2,269,850 Hebler Jan. 13, 1942 2,416,344 Pauling Feb. 25, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 712,762 Germany Oct. 24, 1941 724,041 Germany Aug. 17, 1942 60,881 Denmark May 3, 1943 64,957 Denmark Oct. 28, 1946 OTHER REFERENCES- Magnetic Phenomena, Williams (McGraw Hill) Chapter I. 

